Christian County IL Archives Biographies.....Williams, George W 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Jeanne Bennett Jeanne1941@aol.com October 1999

Biographical Sketch of George W. WILLIAMS, Christian County, Illinois

"Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois & History of Christian County"


WILLIAMS, George W., who belonged to one of the earliest settler 
families of Christian County, is now deceased, but in life he was
one of the substantial and respected farmers of South Fork Township.
He was born at Columbus, Ohio, October 27, 1824, a son of Robert
and Mary (Smith) Williams.  The father and mother were born at
Providence, R.I., and they reared a family of five sons and two
daughters, George W. Williams being the fifth in order of birth.
His ancestors were of Welsh descent and Mr. Williams was a lineal
descendant of the Puritan minister, Roger Williams.

Robert Williams was an undertaker, farmer and builder, and he 
encouraged his son to adopt the same lines of business.  He left
Rhode Island for Ohio in 1812, locating in Franklin County, near
Columbus, where he engaged in building and also operated a farm.
When he was a lad, George W. Williams began learning the building
trade under Mr. Boswell, and remained with him for three years, 
and then went to Iowa where he continued to work at his trade
in Muscatine County.  After four years, in the spring of 1844,
he sailed down the Mississippi River to St. Louis, MO., where
he spent two years in a contracting business, an unfortunate
venture as in it he lost the money that he had saved.  A man 
who had been foreman of a shop in which he had worked in Ohio,
induced him to form a partnership, and this continued as long 
as Mr. Williams' money held out, when he found himself a wiser
and sadder man.  In 1846 he left St. Louis for Sangamon County,
Ill., and took a position with the American Hemp Company, and 
was by them employed in their construction work, and later h
took charge of one of their mills, being in their employ for
two years.  In 1851, Mr. Williams came to Christian County,
and embarked in a bridge building business and was engaged in
other mechanical undertakings until 1860, when he located on
240 acres of land in South Fork Township, but eventually he
retired and spent his declining years at Edinburg, where he
died July 1, 1899, aged seventy-six years, and his wife died
in 1901, aged seventy-eight years.

On March 18, 1847, Mr. Williams was married to Miss Mary 
Humphreys, a native of Fleming County, KY., where she was born
June 6, 1824, a daughter of Thomas L. and Sally Humphreys,
also of Welsh descent.  Thomas Humphreys was born in Wales,
and his father came to Pana, Ill., when Thomas Humphreys was
a child.  Subsequently he moved to Kentucky and there married
a widow, Mrs. Isobel Keith, whose maiden name was Lee, and
they had seven children.  Mrs. Isobel Humphreys died April 
12, 1823, in Bath County, KY., and Thomas Humphreys with his
children returned to Illinois, and settled in the fall of 
1828, three and one-half miles southeast of Springfield.
Thomas L., the father of Mrs. Williams, followed in 1830 
and settled on a homestead, but his health failing him 
returned to the old home where he remained until 1851.  
That same year his wife died, and he came to South Fork 
Township, where he died August 14, 1864.  Mr. and Mrs. 
Williams had a daughter, Mary T. Williams, who was married
to Charles E. Payne, and several other children, who died in
infancy, and one child, Llewellyn by name, dying at the age
of eight years.  Mr. Payne was born on Long Island, N.Y.,
but came to Illinois in 1860.  Later he enlisted for service
during the Civil War in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company C, and after a service
of three years, was discharged July 13, 1865.  He then came
to South Fork Township, and was married and followed farming
the remainder of his life, dying June 26, 1904, aged sixty-
seven years.  Mrs. Payne died March 29, 1904, aged sixty-five
years.  Mr. Payne was a member of the G.A.R. and of the 
Methodist Church.  Mr. and Mrs. Payne had four children, as
follows:  Mrs. Nellie McKenzie, George, Edward and Jessie
P.  Jessie Payne was married to A. C. Merwin, formerly a 
druggist, but now operating the old Payne homestead in South
Fork Township.  Mr. Williams is remembered by the older
residents of this section.  From the organization of the
Republican party he was in sympathy with its principles, and
was proud of the fact that he cast his first vote for
Abraham Lincoln.


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